This article analyses the complex factors contributing to rising medical expenses, focusing on the senior citizen demographic in Malaysia. With the global aging population, notably in lower and middle-income countries, the study highlights the escalating medical and health insurance costs, driven by age, income source, modern healthcare, and geographical residence. The research draws on an extensive literature review, demographic analysis, and quantitative methods to examine these determinants. It critically analyzes Malaysia’s healthcare system, which operates on a dual-tier model, and the financial burden placed on senior citizens. The findings indicate that age, source of income, and geographical residence significantly influence medical expenses, whereas modern healthcare’s impact is not statistically significant. The study calls for government intervention, insurance industry adjustments, and private sector support to mitigate the financial strain on senior citizens. Recommendations include tax relief adjustments, National Health Insurance Scheme implementation, and employment sustainability for seniors. This research provides some recommendations to policymaking, the insurance industry, and academia by providing insights into managing the healthcare needs of an aging population sustainably.

The purpose of the current study is to examine the mediating role of intercultural communicative competence on the relationship between teaching of English language and learning at Chinese higher vocational colleges. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect data from 668 teachers, teaching English language subjects in different public and private Chinese higher vocational colleges. Smart partial least squares-structural equation modeling on SmartPLS software version 4 was used to test the hypotheses. The result revealed the direct effect of English language teaching (ELT) is not significant on English language learning (ELL). However, the intercultural communicative competences (ICC) have been tested and proved to be a potential mediator between English language teaching and learning. Because the indirect effect of ELT on ELL is positive and significant through mediator ICC. Therefore, based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the inclusion of intercultural communication ability is a crucial component in the vocational education of college students. Policymakers should be cautious about promoting and expanding the availability of cultural teaching and learning across demographic conditions (e.g., linguistic and ethnic diversity, age, and gender) and various levels of language proficiency. In accordance with the effects of teacher education and professional development programs, the implementation of ICC content necessitates a harmonization of pedagogical approaches and assessment practices across designated levels in order to effectively achieve educational objectives. To promote ICC in English language education, there must be clear guidelines and communication to school leaders, educators, and administrators regarding the necessity and goals of cultural integration.

Competition in the telecommunications market has significant benefits and impacts in various fields of society such as education, health and the economy. Therefore, it is key not only to monitor the behavior of the concentration of the telecommunications market but also to forecast it to guarantee an adequate level of competition. This work aims to forecast the Linda index of the telecommunications market based on an ARIMA time series model. To achieve this, we obtain data on traffic, revenue, and access from companies in the telecommunications market over a decade and use them to construct the Linda index. The Linda index allows us to measure the possible existence of oligopoly and the inequality between different market shares. The data is modeled through an ARIMA time series to finally predict the future values of the Linda index. The results show that the Colombian telecommunications market has a slight concentration that can affect the level of competition.

The study aims to investigate the relationship between ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) performance on bank value when moderated by loan loss reserves. Using all 11 Thai listed banks for the period 2017–2021, data were collected from Bloomberg database, the official website of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SETSMART), and Bank of Thailand, totalling 55 observations. The selected CAMEL indicators served as the control variables. Multiple linear regression and conditional effect analyses were executed using Tobin’s Q as a bank value. This study carefully tested the validity of the dataset, including fixed and random effects. The research outcomes demonstrate the interaction between ESG performance and loan loss reserves has a notably negative effect on the association between ESG performance and bank value. Subsequent analysis reveals that the negative influence of ESG performance on bank value is more pronounced with higher levels of loan loss reserves. These findings have important implications for bankers, investors, and policymakers, offering insights into the dynamics of ESG and loan loss reserves considerations.